Stork Balance Stand Test

The stork balance test requires the person to stand on one leg.

 purpose: To assess the ability to balance on the ball of the foot.

 equipment required: flat, non-slip surface, stopwatch, paper and
pencil.
 procedure: Remove the shoes and place the hands on the hips,
then position the non-supporting foot against the inside knee of the
supporting leg. The subject is given one minute to practice the
balance. The subject raises the heel to balance on the ball of the
foot. The stopwatch is started as the heel is raised from the floor.
The stopwatch is stopped if any of the follow occur:
o the hand(s) come off the hips
o the supporting foot swivels or moves (hops) in any
direction
o the non-supporting foot loses contact with
the knee. Rating Score (seconds)
o the heel of the supporting foot touches the Excellent > 50
floor. Good 40 - 50
Average 25- 39
 Scoring: The total time in seconds is recorded. Fair 10 - 24
The score is the best of three attempts. The Poor < 10
adjacent table lists general ratings for this test.
 Variations: the stork balance test is also sometimes conducted with the eyes closed,
giving it a higher level of difficulty. See also the similar flamingo balance test.
 Reference: Johnson BL, Nelson JK. Practical measurements for evaluation in physical
education. 4th Edit. Minneapolis: Burgess, 1979.

Standing Balance Test

This is a simple balance test that can be modified to suit your situation.

 equipment required: flat, non-slip surface, stopwatch

 procedure: the person stands on one leg for as
long as possible. Give the subject a minute to
practice their balancing before starting the test.
The timing stops when the elevated foot
touches the ground or the person hops or
 otherwise loses their balance position. The best of three attempts is recorded. Repeat the
test on the other leg.
 scoring: time the total length of time person can stay in the balance position.
 variations / modifications: to increase the degree of difficulty, the test can be conducted
with the person having their arms either by their sides, held out horizontally, or on their
head. You could also conduct the test with their eyes closed for each of these variations
too. See also the flamingo and stork balance tests, which also assess balance on one leg.

Balance Board Test

The Balance Board test is an agility and balance (equilibrium) test. This test is part of the
protocol for the Groningen Fitness Test for the Elderly. This is an important fitness capacity to
measure in the elderly as poor balance can lead to falls and injuries.

 purpose: to measure whole body balance

 equipment required: A wooden balance platform measures measuring 50 x 50 x 1.5 cm,
with a small 2 cm wide beam running lengthwise down the middle beneath it. Small
stoppers are placed on the comers of the platform so that the board cannot tilt more than
18°. Contacts connected to a timer are placed on the underside of the platform, exactly in
the middle of the left and right halves.
 procedure: The participant is instructed to stand on the platform with toes pointed
outward (15°) and heels 15 cm apart. The participant must try to keep the platform
balanced for a period of 30 seconds. The timer stops when the contacts touch the floor.
After one practice trial the best score of three trials is recorded.

 scoring: The score is the total time that neither contact touches the floor, expressed in
counts (1 count = 0.3 s; 100 counts = 30). Thus the maximum score is 100 (for 30
seconds), and the higher scores indicate better performance.
 target population: this test was designed specifically for the elderly population.
 disadvantages: an apparatus specifically for this test needs to be obtained
 reference: Koen A.P.Lemmink, Han Kemper, Mathieu H.G. de Greef, and Piet Rispens
P, Stevens M, Reliability of the Groningen Fitness Test for the Elderly, Journal of Aging
and Physical Activity, 2001, 9, 194-212